So far, so good for Stet 4-day school week

From left, Dillan Hall, Mary Penny and Zak Finley use their iPads near the end of a recent biology class at Stet. Their teacher, Kendra Ramsey, said the students have quickly adapted to the new technology. (Photo by Mark Johnson/Richmond News)

By Mark Johnson/For The Richmond News

Can Stet R-XV, a small rural Missouri K-12 school with 64 students, successfully make the transition to a four-day week without negatively impacting academics?

So far, the initial results look promising. A more definitive answer should come later this school year, following several rounds of standardized testing.

“Our attendance is incredible, we’re over 99 percent,” Superintendent and Principal John D. Wiggans said. “We’ve seen a massive improvement; our goal now is to maintain it.”

There’s another benefit the school has learned of as well.

“We’ve heard that there’s less frustration at home over the weekend because students are getting their homework done on Monday,” he said. “Parents have said ‘our family time is better.’ ”

There’s more.

“We did a survey with all of our parents, students and staff several weeks ago,” Wiggans said. “The majority really like what’s going on – that extra day is making a huge difference to the kids instructionally.”

Biology teacher Kendra Ramsey said her students seem more open to doing their homework.

For teachers, the switch to a four-day week has some using Mondays as a planning day, Wiggans said.